Surgical instrument with adapter for facilitating multi-direction end effector articulation

ABSTRACT

A surgical instrument includes a selectively rotatable housing, an adaptor, and a shaft including an end effector. The adaptor is coupled to the housing and is selectively movable between a first position and a second position. The shaft is coupled to one or both of the housing and the adaptor. The end effector is articulable in response to the selective rotation of the housing. The end effector is articulable toward a first direction when the adaptor is positioned in the first position and articulable toward a second direction when the adaptor is positioned in the second position. The first and second directions are different.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/202,045, filed Jul. 5, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,968,344, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/479,654 filed May24, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,381,010, which claims the benefit of andpriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/501,478, filedJun. 27, 2011, the entire disclosure of each of which is incorporated byreference herein.

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to surgical instruments for useduring a minimally invasive surgical procedure. More particularly, thepresent disclosure relates to surgical instruments having articulatingassemblies that enable multi-direction articulation of end effectors ofthe surgical instruments.

2. Description of Related Art

Increasingly, many surgical procedures are performed through smallopenings in the skin. As compared to the larger openings typicallyrequired in traditional procedures, smaller openings result in lesstrauma to the patient. By reducing the trauma to the patient, the timerequired for recovery is also reduced. Generally, the surgicalprocedures that are performed through small openings in the skin arereferred to as endoscopic. If the procedure is performed on thepatient's abdomen, the procedure is referred to as laparoscopic.Throughout the present disclosure, the term minimally invasive is to beunderstood as encompassing both endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures.

During a typical minimally invasive procedure, surgical objects, such assurgical access devices (e.g., trocar and cannula assemblies) orendoscopes, are inserted into the patient's body through the opening intissue. In general, prior to the introduction of the surgical objectinto the patient's body, insufflation gas is used to enlarge the areasurrounding the target surgical site to create a larger, more accessiblework area. Accordingly, the maintenance of a substantially fluid-tightseal is desirable to inhibit the escape of the insufflation gas and thedeflation or collapse of an enlarged surgical site. In response to this,various access devices with sealing features are used during the courseof minimally invasive procedures to provide an access for surgicalobjects to enter the patient's body. Some of these devices areconfigured for use through a single opening or a naturally occurringorifice (i.e., mouth, anus, or vagina) while allowing multipleinstruments to be inserted through the device to access the workingspace beyond the device.

During procedures employing surgical instruments through a singleopening access device, it is advantageous to be able to reposition theend effectors of these surgical instruments in order to achievedesirable orientations of the end effectors within an underlying tissuesite. In this regard, a continuing need exists for improved articulatingsurgical instruments for use through single opening access devices.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a surgical instrument including aselectively rotatable housing, an adaptor, a drive assembly, and ashaft. The shaft may be coupled to one or both of the housing and theadaptor. The shaft has an end effector.

The housing rotates in a first rotational direction. The firstrotational direction may be in the same general direction as one of afirst and a second direction of articulation of the end effector of theshaft. The housing includes a body and a seat extending from the body.The seat may define a pair of apertures. The seat may define a groove,or a plurality of grooves, in an external surface of the seat. Eachgroove defines a track extending between a pair of walls. Each wall ofthe pair of walls limits movement of one or more projections of theadaptor beyond the respective wall to facilitate the positioning of theadaptor between first and second positions. The track may be at leastpartially sloped to enable adjustment of tension in the drive assembly.

The adaptor is coupled to the housing and is selectively movable betweenthe first position and the second position. The adaptor may be coupledto the seat of the housing. As discussed above, the adaptor may includea projection, or a plurality of projections, extending from an internalsurface of the adaptor. Each projection is movable along one or moregrooves of the seat to facilitate movement of the adaptor between thefirst and second positions. A surface of each projection of the adaptormoves along the track as the adaptor moves between first and secondpositions. In embodiments, the adaptor includes a pair of protuberancesextending therefrom. The protuberances and the apertures of the seat areselectively engagable with each other to secure the adaptor in one ofthe first and second positions.

The drive assembly is coupled to the end effector and the housing. Thedrive assembly is movable between first and second orientations. Thedrive assembly may include two or more cables. The two or more cablesmay be crossed in one of the first orientation and the secondorientation. The two or more cables may be uncrossed in the other of thefirst orientation and the second orientation.

The end effector is articulable in response to the selective rotation ofthe housing. The end effector is articulable toward the first directionwhen the adaptor is positioned in the first position and articulabletoward the second direction when the adaptor is positioned in the secondposition. The first and second directions are different and may bedirectly opposite one another. The end effector is articulable in thefirst direction when the drive assembly is positioned in the firstorientation and is articulable in the second direction when the driveassembly is positioned in the second orientation.

In embodiments, the shaft may be keyed to one or both of the seat andthe adaptor. In embodiments, one of the adaptor and the seat define achannel therein. The other of the adaptor and the seat includes a pin.The pin may be spring actuated. The pin is movable along the channel tofacilitate movement of the adaptor between the first and secondpositions. The channel may include a first bore and a second bore. Thefirst bore may be disposed at a first end of the channel. The secondbore may be disposed at a second end of the channel. The first andsecond bores are selectively engagable with the pin to maintain theadaptor within one of the first and second positions. In embodiments,the adaptor may include a textured outer surface. Rotation of theadaptor may rotate one or both of the shaft and the end effector. Inembodiments, the adaptor may include one or more wings extendingtherefrom that facilitate the rotational movement of the adaptor betweenthe first and second positions.

According to one aspect, a surgical instrument includes a housing, oneor more cables and an adaptor. The housing has a shaft extendingtherefrom. The shaft defines a longitudinal axis and has an end effectorsecured to a distal end of the shaft. The two or more cables are coupledto the housing and the end effector. The two or more cables impartmovement to the end effector in response to movement of the housing. Theadaptor is coupled to the shaft and is selectively movable between firstand second positions to modify the movement of the end effector byreorienting the relative positions of the two or more cables between astraightened position and a crossed position. When the two or morecables are in the straightened position, the end effector articulatesaway from the longitudinal axis of the shaft in a first direction. Whenthe two or more cables are in a crossed position, the end effectorarticulates away from the longitudinal axis of the shaft in a seconddirection.

In use, the housing rotates in a first rotational direction such thatonly one of the first and second directions is in the same generaldirection as the first rotational direction and the other of the firstand second directions is in the opposite general direction of the firstrotational direction. More particularly, rotation of the housingarticulates the end effector relative to the longitudinal axis of theshaft by rotating the two or more cables. A trigger coupled to thehousing imparts longitudinal movement to one or more of the two or morecables to operate the end effector. In embodiments, the adaptor mayrotate, at most, 180 degrees between the first and second positions.

According to another aspect, a surgical instrument includes a housingand an adaptor. The housing has a shaft defining a longitudinal axis.The shaft has an end effector at a distal end of the shaft. The adaptoris coupled to the housing. The selective movement of the adaptor movesthe shaft between first and second positions to enable selectivearticulation of the end effector relative to the longitudinal axis. Whenthe adaptor is positioned in the first position, the end effectorarticulates in a first direction. When the adaptor is positioned in thesecond position, the end effector articulates in a second directiondifferent from the first direction. The end effector articulates in oneof the first or second directions relative to the longitudinal axis inresponse to rotational movement of the housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the presently disclosed device are disclosedherein with reference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a surgical instrumentshown in a first configuration in accordance with the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1 shown in asecond configuration;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the presentlydisclosed surgical instrument shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with a housing ofthe surgical instrument having a section removed for clarity;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, exploded, perspective view of a portion of thepresently disclosed surgical instrument shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, asection of one embodiment of an adaptor of the presently disclosedsurgical instrument having a portion shown in partial cross-section;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, perspective view of one embodiment of an aperturein accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the adaptor shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view of a portion of thepresently disclosed surgical instrument shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with theadaptor being shown in a first position;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 8-8 of theportion of the presently disclosed surgical instrument shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view of a portion of thepresently disclosed surgical instrument shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with theadaptor being shown in a second position;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 10-10 of theportion of the presently disclosed surgical instrument shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a seat of thepresently disclosed surgical instrument shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a seat of thepresently disclosed surgical instrument shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a seat of thepresently disclosed surgical instrument shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a portion of another embodiment of asurgical instrument in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 is an exploded, perspective view of the portion of the surgicalinstrument shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional view of one embodimentof a pin in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIGS. 17-18 are enlarged, progressive, partial cross-sectional views ofa portion of an embodiment of an adaptor and a portion of an embodimentof a seat illustrating the positioning of the adaptor between first andsecond positions;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a portion of yet another embodiment ofa surgical instrument in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 20 is an exploded, perspective view of the portion of the presentlydisclosed surgical instrument illustrated in FIG. 19; and

FIG. 21 is a partial cross-sectional view of the portion of thepresently disclosed surgical instrument illustrated in FIG. 19.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Detailed embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein;however, the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of thedisclosure, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specificstructural and functional details disclosed herein are not to beinterpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as arepresentative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variouslyemploy the present disclosure in virtually any appropriately detailedstructure.

As shown in the drawings and as described throughout the followingdescription, and as is traditional when referring to relativepositioning on an object, the term “proximal” refers to the end of thedevice that is closer to the user and the term “distal” refers to theend of the device that is farther from the user. In the followingdescription, well-known functions or constructions are not described indetail to avoid obscuring the present disclosure in unnecessary detail.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present disclosure is directedto a surgical instrument which is generally referred to as 100. Surgicalinstrument 100 includes a selectively rotatable housing 110, an adaptor120, a drive assembly 130, a shaft 140, an end effector 150, and atrigger assembly 160. As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 110 isrotatable (e.g., via wrist rotation of a user) in either a clockwise orcounterclockwise direction to articulate the end effector 150 relativeto a longitudinal axis “A” extending through the shaft 140 since the endeffector 150 is articulably secured to a distal end of the shaft 140. Inthis regard, the end effector 150 is articulable in response to theselective rotation of the housing 110 about a longitudinal axis “A2”defined through the housing 110. The housing 110 may be configured torotate in a rotational direction that is either clockwise,counterclockwise, and/or both clockwise and counterclockwise. Theadaptor 120, which is coupled to one or both of the housing 110 and theshaft 140, is selectively rotatable between first and second positions(rotating one or both of the shaft 140 and the end effector 150) tochange the direction of articulation of the end effector 150 relative tothe longitudinal axis “A”, which will be discussed in greater detailbelow.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the adaptor 120 is positioned in the firstposition such that the end effector 150 articulates through an angle γbetween a first longitudinal position (not shown in phantom) and firstarticulated position (shown in phantom) in response to the rotation ofthe housing 110 (FIG. 1 illustrates clockwise rotation of the housing110). As can be appreciated, the housing 110 can be configured so thatcounterclockwise rotation articulates the end effector towards thelongitudinal axis “A” and clockwise rotation of the housing 110articulates the end effector 150 away from the longitudinal axis “A”(and vice versa). In the illustrated configuration of FIG. 1, i) thedirection of articulation of the end effector 150 away from thelongitudinal axis “A” (towards the first articulated position) and ii)the direction of rotation of the housing 110 corresponding to thearticulation of the end effector 10 away from the longitudinal axis “A”are directed in the same general direction, (e.g., generally towards theright side “R” of the surgical instrument 100). The surgical instrument100 can also be configured so that counterclockwise rotation of thehousing 110 correspondingly articulates the end effector 150 away fromthe longitudinal axis “A.” Both of these directions are generallytowards the left side “L” of the surgical instrument 100 as the endeffector 150 approaches the first articulated position.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the adaptor 120 is shown being rotatedcounterclockwise from the first position into the second position suchthat the end effector 150 articulates through an angle δ between thefirst longitudinal position (not shown in phantom) and secondarticulated position (shown in phantom) in response to the rotation ofthe housing 110 (FIG. 2 illustrates clockwise rotation of the housing110). In this configuration, i) the direction of articulation of the endeffector 150 away from the longitudinal axis “A” (towards the secondarticulated position) and ii) the direction of the rotation of thehousing 110 corresponding to the articulation of the end effector 150away from the longitudinal axis “A” are directed in opposite generaldirections, (e.g., the rotation of the housing 110 is generally towardsthe right side “R” of the surgical instrument 100 and the articulationof the end effector 150 is away from the longitudinal axis “A” andgenerally towards the left side “L” of the surgical instrument 100). Ascan be appreciated, the surgical instrument 100 can also be configuredso that the counterclockwise rotation of the housing 110 articulates theend effector 150 generally towards the right side “R” of the surgicalinstrument 100.

Indeed, the surgical instrument 100 can be configured in any suitablearrangement so that the end effector 150 can articulate through anysuitable angle relative to the longitudinal axis “A” in response torotational movement of the housing 110, not just leftward or rightward.For example, the end effector 150 can be configured to articulate inresponse to rotation (clockwise or counterclockwise) of the housing 110between upward and downward or between opposing oblique angles, thedirection of articulation being similarly controlled by the positioningof the adaptor 120 between first and second positions. In this regard,the end effector 150 is articulable toward the first direction when theadaptor 120 is positioned in the first position and articulable towardthe second direction when the adaptor 120 is positioned in the secondposition. The first and second directions may be opposite one another,or merely different.

As best illustrated in FIG. 3, the housing 110 includes a body 110 a anda seat 110 b extending from the body 110 a. The seat 110 b is disposedon a distal end of the body 110 a and is securable to the body 110 a byany suitable structure known in the art (e.g., one or more of anysuitable mechanical fastener, adhesive, keyed feature, etc.) Indeed, asillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the body 110 a and seat 110 b may besecured to one another via any suitable interlocking feature 111 knownin the art.

With continued reference to FIG. 4, the seat 110 b includes a stem 112having a base 112 a and tube 112 b. The base 112 a may be an annularring or any other suitable shape. The base 112 a defines one or moreapertures 114 dimensioned to receive one or more protuberances 122extending from the adaptor 120. The one or more protuberances 122 may beintegrally formed with the adaptor 120 and may be movable betweenextended and retracted positions to facilitate engagement with the oneor more apertures 114. The one or more protuberances 122 will bedescribed in greater detail below. With brief reference to FIG. 5, eachaperture 114 includes one or more engaging tabs 114 a to facilitatesecurement of the one or more protuberances 122 within the one or moreapertures 114. The tube 112 b defines a groove 116 at a distal end andmay include a plurality of grooves 116. Each groove 116 may have anysuitable shape or dimension to facilitate rotation of the adaptor 120about the seat 110 b. The groove 116 is defined within an externalsurface of the tube 112 b and includes a track 116 a, a first wall 116b, and a second wall 116 c. The track 116 is defined between the firstwall 116 b and the second wall 116 c. As will be described in greaterdetail below, the track 116 may be at least partially sloped to enableadjustment of tension in the drive assembly 130. The tube 112 b furtherincludes an opening 118 for the reception of a proximal end of the shaft140. The shaft 140 may be coupled to the housing 110 (e.g., the tube 112b) and/or the adaptor 120 by any suitable means known in the art (e.g.,one or more of any suitable mechanical fastener, adhesive, keyedfeature, etc.).

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the adaptor 120 which includesthe one or more protuberances 122 discussed above. Referring now toFIGS. 4 and 6, the one or more protuberances 122 extend from a proximalend of the adaptor 120 for selective engagement with the one or moreapertures 114 defined in the base 112 a of the stem 112 to secure theadaptor 120 in one of the first and second positions. As depicted inFIG. 4, the adaptor 120 may include a pair of protuberances 122 thatalternate engagement with a pair of apertures 114 as the adaptor 120 ismoved between first and second positions. The adaptor 120 includes apassage 124 extending therethrough for the reception of at least aportion of the shaft 140 from a distal end of the passage 124 and/or atleast a portion of the seat 110 b of the housing 110 from a proximal endof the passage 124. As discussed above, the shaft 140 may be coupled tothe adaptor 120 (and/or the housing 110) by any suitable means known inthe art (e.g., one or more of any suitable mechanical fastener,adhesive, keyed feature, etc.). The passage 124 may be shaped anddimensioned to accommodate the stem 112 of seat 110 b. From FIG. 6, oneor more projections 126 extend from an internal surface of the adaptor120. With continued reference to FIGS. 4 and 6, each projection 126 ismovable along the one or more grooves 116 defined within the tube 112 aof the seat 110 b to facilitate movement of the adaptor 120 between thefirst and second positions. As the adaptor 120 moves between first andsecond positions, a bottom surface 126 a of each projection 126 of theadaptor 120 moves along the track 116 a while a front surface 126 b ofeach projection 126 moves along a front surface 116 d of the groove 116.

Turning now to FIGS. 7-10, the adaptor 120, as discussed above, isrotatable between first and second positions to change the direction ofarticulation of the end effector 150 relative to the longitudinal axis“A.” In particular, FIGS. 7-8 depict the adaptor 120 being disposed in afirst position, where the projection 126 of the adaptor 120 is disposedabutting wall 116 c of groove 116. In contrast, FIGS. 9-10 depict theadaptor 120 being disposed in a second position, where the projection126 of the adaptor 120 is disposed abutting wall 116 b of groove 116. Inthis manner, each wall 116 b, 116 c limits movement of the projection126 beyond the respective wall 116 b, 116 c to facilitate thepositioning of the adaptor 120 between first and second positions.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 9, drive assembly 130 includes anynumber of driving members 132 (e.g., cables 132 a, 132 b, 132 c, and 132d) coupled to the end effector 150 and the housing 110 (e.g., coupled tothe trigger assembly 160 and/or the body 110 a) to effectuate thearticulation and/or operation of the end effector 150. In particular,the driving members 132 are used to impart movement to the end effector150 in response to movement of the housing 110 and/or actuation of thetrigger assembly 160. The trigger assembly 160 may be configured toimpart longitudinal movement to one or more of the driving members 132to operate the end effector 150 (e.g., open and close a pair of jaws ofthe end effector 150). The driving members 132 may be secured to theseat 110 via a mount 134. In one embodiment, the mount 134 may berotatably positioned within the opening 118 extending through the stem112. In use, when the adaptor 120 is disposed in the first position(FIGS. 7-8), two or more of the driving members 132 may be positioned ina first orientation (e.g., a crossed configuration) to facilitate thearticulation of the end effector 150 in a first direction relative tothe longitudinal axis “A” of the shaft 140 (illustrated in FIG. 1).Alternatively, when the adaptor is disposed in the second position(FIGS. 9-10), the driving members 132 are in a second orientation (e.g.,straightened or uncrossed configuration) to facilitate the articulationof the end effector 150 in a second direction relative to thelongitudinal axis “A” of the shaft 140 (illustrated in FIG. 2). Inembodiments, the driving members 132 may be limited to rotating throughan angle of at most 180 to prevent undesirable tangling of the drivemembers 132. As discussed above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, the firstand second direction can be arranged in any suitable configuration,e.g., up/down directions, opposite oblique directions, etc.

Referring now to FIGS. 11-13, alternate embodiments of a seat areillustrated and are described herein only to the extent necessary todescribe the differences in construction and operation thereof. FIG. 11shows one embodiment of a seat generally referred to as 210. Seat 210includes a stem 212 with a base 212 a and a tube 212 b. Base 212 aincludes surface 213 with a slope 213 a. As illustrated in FIG. 11, theslope 213 a may be disposed at any suitable angle and may spiral alongthe tube 212 b. The slope 213 a is arranged to adjust tension in thedrive members 132. The surface 213 may also include one or moreapertures 114 defined therein. Tube 212 b defines a groove 216 andraised portion 220. Groove 216 includes a track 216 a, a first wall 216b, and a second wall 216 c. Groove 216 is defined along any suitableangle β1 while raised portion 220 is defined along any suitable angleα1. Angles α1 and β1 may be any suitable explementary angles (e.g., 140degrees and 220 degrees). Track 216 a is sloped at any suitable angle toadjust tension in the drive members 132. Track 216 a and slope 213 a maybe arranged commensurate with one another to facilitate the adjustmentof tension in the drive members 132. In embodiments, track 216 a and/orslope 213 a may have a planar, spiral, zig-zag, or any other suitablyshaped and/or dimensioned configuration known in the art. As can beappreciated, the adaptor 120 may include a single protuberance 122 foralternating engagement with a pair of apertures 114 defined alongsurface 213.

FIG. 12 shows another embodiment of a seat generally referred to as 310.Seat 310 includes a stem 312 with a base 312 a and a tube 312 b. Base312 a includes surface 313 with one or more ramps 313 a. The one or moreramps 313 a may be disposed at any suitable angle. Each ramp 313 a isarranged to adjust tension in the drive members 132. The ramps 313 a mayalso include one or more apertures 114 defined therein. Tube 312 bdefines first and second grooves 316, 318 and first and second raisedportions 320, 322. The first and second grooves 316, 318 each define anangle β2. The first and second raised portions 320, 322 each define anangle α2. α2 may be substantially equal to β2 (e.g., each angle is 90degrees). In this regard, α2 and β2 may be supplementary angles. Firstgroove 316 includes a track 316 a, a first wall 316 b, a second wall 316c, and one or more ramps 316 d. In this regard, track 316 a is sloped(e.g., upwards at one or both of the ends via one or more ramps 316 d)to adjust tension in the drive members 132 when the adaptor 120 isdisposed in one of the first and second positions. Second groove 318 issubstantially identical to first groove 316 but is disposed on adiametrically opposed side of the tube 312 b. The one or more ramps 316d in each track 316 a and/or the one or more ramps 313 a on surface 313may be the same or different and may be arranged at any suitableorientation to achieve any desirable tension in one or more of the drivemembers 132 due to various properties and/or dimensions and/or amount ofdrive members 132 included in one of the presently disclosed embodimentsof the presently disclosed surgical instrument. Indeed, the first andsecond grooves 316, 318 can be arranged with any suitable combination ofdimensions, shapes, etc. to enable the adaptor 120 to rotate betweenfirst and second positions.

FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of a seat generally referred to as 410.Seat 410 includes a stem 412 with a base 412 a and a tube 412 b. Base412 a includes surface 413 with one or more notches 413 a. The one ormore notches 413 a may be disposed at any suitable angle. Each notch 413a is arranged to adjust tension in the drive members 132. Each notch 413a may also include one or more apertures 114 defined therein. Tube 412 bdefines a groove 416 and a raised portion 420. Groove 416 defines anangle β3 and raised portion 420 defines an angle α3. Angles α3 and 133may be any suitable explementary angles (e.g., 40 degrees and 320degrees). Groove 416 includes a track 416 a, a first wall 416 b, asecond wall 416 c, and one or more notches 418. In this regard, track416 a is sloped (e.g., downwards at one or both of the ends via one ormore notches 418) to adjust tension in the drive members 132. Notches413 a and 418 may be the same or different and may be arranged at anysuitable orientation to achieve any desirable tension in one or more ofthe drive members 132 due to various properties and/or dimensions and/oramount of drive members 132 included in one of the presently disclosedembodiments of the presently disclosed surgical instrument.

With reference now to FIGS. 14-18, an alternate embodiment of a surgicalinstrument is generally referred to as 500 and is described herein onlyto the extent necessary to describe the differences in construction andoperation thereof. Turning now to FIG. 14, surgical instrument 500includes a housing 510, an adaptor 520, a drive assembly 130, a shaft140, and an end effector 150.

As best shown in FIG. 15, the housing 510 has a body 510 a and a seat510 b extending from the body 510 a. The seat 510 b includes a stem 512having a base 512 a and a tube 512 b extending from the base 512 a. Thebase 512 a defines a channel 514 that extends along an external surfaceof the base 512 a. With brief reference to FIGS. 17-18, the channel 514may be defined such that the ends 514 a, 514 b of the channel 514 arelongitudinal spaced from one another along the longitudinal axis “A” ofthe shaft 140. In this regard, the channel 514 may have a substantiallyspiral configuration, although any other suitable configuration iscontemplated (e.g., sinusoidal, chevron, linear, zig-zag, etc.). Thechannel 514 includes a first bore 516 a and a second bore 516 b definedtherein at opposite ends of the channel 514 that are dimensioned toaccommodate a pin 530 secured to the adaptor 520. In this respect, thefirst and second bores 516 a, 516 b are selectively engagable with thepin 530 to maintain the adaptor 520 within one of the first and secondpositions. In embodiments, the channel 514 may include any number ofbores positioned at various locations along the length of the channel514 to position the adaptor 520 in any number of positions for orientingthe end effector 150 in any desired orientation. In embodiments, thechannel 514 may be defined in the adaptor 520 and the base 512 a mayinclude a pin 530. The pin 530 and the adaptor 520 will be described ingreater detail below.

As illustrated in this embodiment, and best shown in FIG. 15, theadaptor 520 may include a first section 520 a and a second section 520 bthat are secured together, e.g., via interference fit, over at least aportion of shaft 140 and at least a portion of stem 512 of seat 510 b.With reference to FIGS. 14 and 15, adaptor 520 includes a texturedsurface 522 to facilitate gripping. The pin 530 is secured withinadaptor 520.

As shown in FIG. 16, pin 530 includes a head 532, a biasing member 534,and a tip 536. The biasing member 534 facilitates movement of the tip536 (e.g., via spring actuation) between locked and unlocked conditionsupon actuation of the head 532. The biasing member 534 may be a springor any other suitable biasing mechanism known in the art.

Referring again to FIG. 17, the adaptor 520 is in the first positionwith the pin 530 shown in a retracted position such that the tip 536 isnot locked into first bore 514 a and adaptor 520 is rotatable toward thesecond position. When the pin 530 is in an extended position (FIG. 18)the tip 536 of the pin 530 is locked into first bore 514 a of channel514 of stem 512 to maintain the adaptor 520 in the first position. Uponactuation of the pin 530, the biasing member 534 moves the tip 536 intoan unlocked condition, e.g., where the tip 536 retracts toward the head532 to the retracted position and out of engagement with first bore 514a (shown in FIG. 17), so that the pin 530 may travel along the channel514 upon rotation of the adaptor 520.

With reference to FIG. 18, when the adaptor 520 is rotated to the otherend of the channel 514, the tip 536 of the pin 530 extends into thesecond bore 514 b via the biasing forces of the biasing member 534,locking the tip 536 into the second bore 514 b and the adaptor 520 intothe second position. As can be appreciated, another actuation of the pin530 retracts the tip 536 from the second bore 514 b so that the adaptor520 may be selectively repositioned into either the first or the secondposition as described above. It should be noted that the adaptor 520 maylongitudinally translate along the longitudinal axis “A” as the adaptor520 moves between the first and second positions (see FIGS. 17-18). Inparticular, where the channel 514 is disposed in a spiral configuration,the pin 530 cams along the channel 514 along a spiral path moving theadaptor 520 axially along the longitudinal axis “A.” As discussed above,the channel 514 may be arranged in any suitable configuration (e.g.,sinusoidal, chevron, linear, zig-zag, etc.), some of which areconfigured to axially translate the adaptor 520 along the longitudinalaxis “A” and some of which are configured to maintain the adaptor 520 inan axially stationary position. The particular channel 514 may beselected to accommodate the various properties and/or orientations ofvarious drive members (e.g., diameters, spring rates, crossed anduncrossed orientations, etc.) in order to achieve predeterminedoperations and/or articulations and/or other movements of the endeffector 150.

With reference now to FIGS. 19-21, another embodiment of a surgicalinstrument is generally referred to as 600 and is described herein onlyto the extent necessary to describe the differences in construction andoperation thereof. Surgical instrument 600 includes a housing 610, anadaptor 620, a drive assembly 130, a shaft 640, and an end effector 150.

The housing 610 has a body 610 a and a seat 610 b extending from thebody 610 a. As best shown in FIG. 20, the seat 610 b includes a stem 612having a base 612 a and a tube 612 b extending from the base 612 a. Thebase 612 a may be an annular ring or any other suitable shape. The base612 a defines one or more apertures 614 dimensioned to receive one ormore protuberances 622 extending from the adaptor 622.

The adaptor 620 includes one or more wings 624 extending therefrom forfacilitating gripping of the adaptor 620 and the rotational movement ofthe adaptor 620 between first and second positions. When the adaptor 620is positioned in one of the first and second positions, the one or moreprotuberances 622 engage the one or more apertures 614 defined withinthe base 612 a of the stem 612 to maintain the adaptor 620 secured inthe respective first or second position. The one or more protuberances622 may be movable between extended and retracted positions. Inparticular, the adaptor 620 may be axially movable, (e.g., retractedproximally and/or extended distally) to actuate the one or moreprotuberances 622 between extended and retracted positions for enablingthe one or more protuberances 622 to be selectively positioned withinthe one or more apertures 614. In this respect, when positioned withinthe one or more apertures 614 (e.g., in an extended position), the oneor more protuberances 622 maintain the adaptor 620 in one of the firstand second positions. In comparison, when the one or more protuberances622 are spaced from the one or more apertures 614 (e.g., in a retractedposition), the adaptor 620 is rotatable between the first and secondpositions. The one or more protuberances 622 may include any suitablebiasing mechanism (e.g., a spring) for enabling the one or moreprotuberances 622 to move between extended and retracted positions.

Referring now to FIGS. 20-21, adaptor 620 includes an opening 628 forthe reception of shaft 640. The shaft 640 may be keyed to the seat 610 b(e.g., via stem 612) and/or the adaptor 620. For example, as shown inFIG. 21, the adaptor 620 includes a mounting member 626 with one or moremounting arms 626 a extending therefrom. As best shown in FIG. 20, theshaft 640 defines one or more mounting features 640 a that areconfigured to engage the mounting arms 626 a of the mounting member 626when the shaft 640 is secured to the adaptor 620. When engaged, themounting arms 626 a of the mounting member 626 rotate the shaft 640 viathe mounting features 640 a when the adaptor 620 is moved between firstand second positions.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made to theembodiments of the presently disclosed device. Therefore, the abovedescription should not be construed as limiting, but merely asexemplifications of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envisionother modifications within the scope and spirit of the presentdisclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A surgical instrument comprising: a housingrotatable about an axis, the housing including a body and a seat; anadapter coupled to the housing, the adapter selectively movable betweena first position and a second position relative to the housing; and anend effector operatively coupled with the housing, the end effectorconfigured to articulate in response to a selective rotation of thehousing, the end effector configured to articulate towards a firstdirection when the adapter is positioned in the first position and thehousing is rotated in a third direction about the axis, and towards asecond direction when the adapter is positioned in the second positionand the housing is rotated in the third direction about the axis,wherein one of the adapter or the seat of the housing defines a channeltherein and the other of the adapter or the seat includes a pin movablealong the channel.
 2. The surgical instrument according to claim 1,wherein the adapter is rotatably coupled with the housing, the adapterrotatable between the first and second positions.
 3. The surgicalinstrument according to claim 2, wherein the adapter is rotatable nomore than about 180 degrees between the first and second positions. 4.The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the end effectoris configured to articulate in the second direction when the adapter ispositioned in the first position and the housing is rotated in a fourthdirection opposite of the third direction.
 5. The surgical instrumentaccording to claim 4, wherein the end effector is configured toarticulate in the first direction when the adapter is positioned in thesecond position and the housing is rotated in the fourth direction. 6.The surgical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising a shaftextending from the adapter and operatively coupled with the endeffector.
 7. The surgical instrument according to claim 6, wherein theshaft defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the end effector isconfigured to articulate between a first orientation, in which, the endeffector is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and asecond orientation, in which, the end effector is offset from thelongitudinal axis.
 8. The surgical instrument according to claim 1,further comprising a plurality of cables operatively coupling the endeffector and the adapter, at least two cables being crossed in one ofthe first and second positions of the adapter.
 9. The surgicalinstrument according to claim 1, wherein the adapter defines a cavitydimensioned to receive the seat of the housing.
 10. The surgicalinstrument according to claim 9, wherein the adapter includes aprojection, and the seat of the housing defines a groove configured toreceive the projection to guide movement of the adapter between thefirst and second positions.
 11. The surgical instrument according toclaim 1, wherein the pin is spring biased to engage the channel.
 12. Thesurgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the one of the adapteror the seat of the housing further defines first and second boresdisposed at respective first and second ends of the channel, the firstand second bores selectively engageable with the pin to maintain aposition of the adapter.
 13. The surgical instrument according to claim1, wherein the adapter includes at least one wing configured tofacilitate rotation of the adapter.
 14. The surgical instrumentaccording to claim 1, wherein the first direction is opposite of thesecond direction.
 15. A surgical instrument comprising: a housingrotatable about an axis, the housing including a body and a seat; anadapter coupled to the housing, the adapter selectively movable betweena first position and a second position relative to the housing; and anend effector operatively coupled with the housing, the end effectorconfigured to articulate in response to a selective rotation of thehousing, the end effector configured to articulate towards a firstdirection when the adapter is positioned in the first position and thehousing is rotated in a third direction about the axis, and towards asecond direction when the adapter is positioned in the second positionand the housing is rotated in the third direction about the axis,wherein one of the adapter or the seat of the housing includes a pinspring biased to be selectively received in a bore defined in the otherof the adapter or the seat to secure the adapter in one of the first andsecond positions, wherein the adapter is axially stationary relative tothe seat.
 16. The surgical instrument according to claim 15, wherein theadapter is rotatably coupled with the housing, the adapter rotatablebetween the first and second positions.
 17. The surgical instrumentaccording to claim 16, wherein the adapter is rotatable no more thanabout 180 degrees between the first and second positions.
 18. Thesurgical instrument according to claim 15, wherein the end effector isconfigured to articulate in the second direction when the adapter ispositioned in the first position and the housing is rotated in a fourthdirection opposite of the third direction.
 19. The surgical instrumentaccording to claim 18, wherein the end effector is configured toarticulate in the first direction when the adapter is positioned in thesecond position and the housing is rotated in the fourth direction. 20.The surgical instrument according to claim 15, wherein the pin spring isdisposed transverse to the axis.